Suspect in Kansas shooting appears in court

HOUSTON: Adam Purinton, the man charged with killing Indian techie Srinivas Kuchibhotla and injuring two others in an apparent hate crime at a pub in Kansas, has made his first court appearance.

The US Navy veteran appeared before a court yesterday.

Michelle Durrett from the Johnson County Public Defenders Office will serve as Purinton's attorney.

Purinton faces one charge of first-degree murder and two charges of attempted first-degree murder in last Wednesday's shooting, According to Steve Howe, Johnson County District Attorney.

The FBI is also helping gather evidence in the shooting because Kansas does not have a hate crime statute.

If their agents can prove that Purinton's alleged actions constitute a hate crime, he could face federal charges that could potentially carry the death penalty.

Purinton is currently being held in the Johnson County jail on a $2-million cash bond.

Prosecutors claim Purinton opened fire inside Austin's restaurant in Olathe last Wednesday night, killing Srinivas Kuchibhotla and wounding his Indian colleague Alok Madasani.

Ian Grillot, a 24-year-old American man was also injured while intervening in the shooting.

Police arrested Purinton in Henry County, west central Missouri, after he reportedly walked into an Applebee's restaurant there and confided to the bartender that he had been involved in a shooting.

The shooter was charged Thursday with first-degree murder. He was also charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder in the shootings of Alok and Grillot.

He was extradited back to Kansas on Friday.